THE FFP GOVERNMENT WHIP AND NOW PAC CHAIRMAN MADE STATEMENTS TO THIS EFFECT: Ashneel Sudhakar to Nasik Swami: "...Probably there is few options — we will let the people who are in there, phase them out, like retire, they will slowly retire out, retire off or we will advertise again for the positions...[or] transferredto the other - that's one option"

"What could happen is — they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply..." - SudhakarRead Full Story below:

Ashneel Sudhakar to Nasik Swami: "...Probably there is few options — we will let the people who are in there, phase them out, like retire, they will slowly retire out, retire off or we will advertise again for the positions. So if somebody is, for example the deputy secretary of finance, and he's been there just because of his experience and there is somebody who is a better candidate, they apply and of course, his experience will be counted in there, his qualifications will be counted in there - so not necessarily lose their job, I mean there's no need to panic that you'll be losing the job, but maybe a better person can replace you in that position while you are transferredto the other - that's one option."

Ashneel Sudhakar: "Not possibility.The possibilities are endless — but what could happen is — they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply, right. Like, this is something that is not confirmed yet, it's still being worked out."

Fijileaks: Sudhakar, while demanding a retraction from the Fiji Times, had claimed that he had made no comments on the readvertising of any positions currently held by civil servants; yes, he did - he mentions in the interview (quoted above], as an example, the deputy secretary of finance, unless he doesn't consider his position as a civil service position? And, you have his master Aiyaz Khaiyum telling the media that the Ministry of Civil Service has never planned to re-advertise any existing positions or have civil servants reapply for their jobs. But read Sudhakar [ re Deputy Secretary of Finance]

An analysis of the interview transcript released by the Fiji Times proves ASHNEEL SUDHAKAR, the Government Whip, and chairman of Public Accounts Committee and the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee LIEDwhen he denied making no [any] statements about offers to civil servants of phasing out or retirement,replacement where appointments were without merit or transfer within ministries. The Fiji Times, fearing reprisals from Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum and his side-kick Ashwin Raj, MIDA chairman, plays it safe by declaring:

"The Fiji Times reported, as a certainty, that all civil service positions would be readvertised. We acknowledge that this was to overstate what Mr Sudhakar said. He did not say that this would definitely occur. What he said was: "the possibilities are endless — but what could happen is — they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply, right. Like, this is something that is not confirmed yet, it's still being worked out.Mr Sudhakar says that he made no statements about offers to civil servants of phasing out or retirement, replacement where appointments were without merit or transfer within ministries. However, he clearly made a number of comments on those issues."

EXTRACTS from Fiji Times interview with Ashneel Sudhakar:

Nasik Swami: And, you know, when these new procedures and new criterias kick in, are there possibilities of them losing their jobs if they don't qualify on merit?

Ashneel Sudhakar: "Not possibility.The possibilities are endless — but what could happen is — they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply, right. Like, this is something that is not confirmed yet, it's still being worked out."

What about comments on phasing out, retirement, replacement? Sudhakar says he NEVER made any such comments - HE DID!

Ashneel Sudhakar to news outlets: “The reporter, Mr Nasik Swami, incorrectly asserts that I stated that more than 30,000 civil service positions will be readvertised and that those employees must then reapply for their jobs. However, I never made any statement to that effect...The reporter also incorrectly asserted that three options would be offered to civil servants who did not meet merit based criteria. These options, “phasing out or retirement, replacement of those appointments without merit and transfer within ministries”, were never a part of my discussions with Mr Swami and I never made any statements to this effect."

"The [Fiji Times] article went on to state that three options would be offered to civil servants, including, “phasing out or retirement, replacement of those appointments without merit and transfer within ministries”. This also does not reflect Government’s Civil Service reform policy. " - Aiyaz Khaiyum's intervention on Ashneel Sudhakar's behalf, Ministry of Information press release

Ashneel Sudhakar to Nasik Swami (Transcript): "...Probably there is few options — we will let the people who are in there, phase them out, like retire, they will slowly retire out, retire off or we will advertise again for the positions. So if somebody is, for example the deputy secretary of finance, and he's been there just because of his experience and there is somebody who is a better candidate, they apply and of course, his experience will be counted in there, his qualifications will be counted in there - so not necessarily lose their job, I mean there's no need to panic that you'll be losing the job, but maybe a better person can replace you in that position while you are transferredto the other - that's one option."

Fijileaks: Sudhakar claimed that he had made no comments on the readvertising of any positions currently held by civil servants; yes, he did - he mentions, as an example, the deputy secretary of finance, unless he doesn't consider this position as a civil service position?

Civil service reforms

The EditorFiji TimesMonday, May 16, 2016

ON Thursday May 12, under the headline Intake on merit, The Fiji Times reported on an interview with Government MP Ashneel Sudhakar, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights. The report opened with the paragraph "The Government will readvertise more than 30,000 civil service positions to ensure that all intakes are merit-based."

The article went on to report Mr Sudhakar saying that those employed in the civil service would need to reapply for their jobs.

Mr Sudhakar has complained that he was inaccurately reported by The Fiji Times reporter Nasik Swami. He said in a statement "I made no comment on the readvertising of any positions currently held by civil servants as that is not the plan of the Ministry of Civil Service."

Mr Sudhakar also denied saying that civil servants who did not meet merit-based criteria would be phased out or retired, replaced or transferred within ministries. He said that these were "never a part of my discussions with Mr Swami and I never made any statements to this effect."

The interview was tape-recorded. The Fiji Times editorial management has reviewed a transcript of the interview.

Relevant extracts from the transcript are set out below:

Ashneel Sudhakar (AS): OK. So yes Nasik, what we have talked about today in the committee is basically on these civil service reforms. So what used to be the Fiji Public Service Commission will now become the Ministry for Civil Service, right. And what that means is that, you know we had the old belief that once you enter the civil service, you are there for life, life guarantee, life insurance, whether you perform or not, you just hang in there until you retire and you get your pension. That's all going to change because all the recruitments will now be, that includes the new staff and also old staff who have been there, they will be offered new contracts as part of the reforms. So it will be a contractual system, the duration is still being worked out, we don't whether it's going to be three years, five years — but I think, I believe it will be three years. So everybody will be recruited on merit.

Nasik Swami (NS): Ashneel, does that mean that, you know, those who are currently in the civil service [---]

AS: Yes, yes [---]

NS: and, you know, when these new procedures and new criterias kick in, are there possibilities of them losing their jobs if they don't qualify on merit?

AS: Not possibility — I mean the possibilities are endless — but what could happen is - they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply, right. Like, this is something that is not confirmed yet, it's still being worked out. Like, probably there is few options — we will let the people who are in there, phase them out, like retire, they will slowly retire out, retire off or we will advertise again for the positions. So if somebody is, for example the deputy secretary of finance, and he's been there just because of his experience and there is somebody who is a better candidate, they apply and of course, his experience will be counted in there, his qualifications will be counted in there - so not necessarily lose their job, I mean there's no need to panic that you'll be losing the job, but maybe a better person can replace you in that position while you are transferred to the other - that's one option. Of course, the drastic option is to, if somebody's been there without any merit and possibly by nepotism, then he goes home and somebody else replaces him. Now the bottom line that we want to ensure is not to kill somebody's livelihood"

NS: Yes?

AS: [?} not to put people on the streets, but service delivery. That has been the hallmark of the FijiFirst government, service delivery, we want that to happen.

Based on the above extracts:

The Fiji Times reported, as a certainty, that all civil service positions would be readvertised. We acknowledge that this was to overstate what Mr Sudhakar said.

He did not say that this would definitely occur. What he said was: "the possibilities are endless — but what could happen is — they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply, right. Like, this is something that is not confirmed yet, it's still being worked out."

Mr Sudhakar says that he made no statements about offers to civil servants of phasing out or retirement, replacement where appointments were without merit or transfer within ministries.

However, he clearly made a number of comments on those issues.

Intake on meritNasik SwamiFiji TimesThursday, May 12, 2016

THE Government will re-advertise more than 30,000 civil service positions to ensure that all intakes are merit-based. (Fijileaks: Was Nasik Swami right/wrong when one reads Sudhakar's reply to a question: I mean the possibilities are endless — but what could happen is - they'll all, everyone will be asked to re-apply, right.)This is a move by the State to ensure efficiency within the civil service as the restructure of public servants picks momentum. Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights, Ashneel Sudhakar, whose committee is overseeing the 2014 annual report of the Public Service Commission now the Ministry of Civil Service, said those employed in the civil service would need to re-apply for their jobs.

Mr Sudhakar said as part of the re-advertisement of the positions, new positions would be on contractual basis, pressuring civil servants to perform or ship out.

"So what used to be the Fiji Public Service Commission will now become the Ministry for Civil Service and what that means is that we had the old belief that once you enter the civil service, you are there for life, it's a life insurance and whether you perform or not, you just hang in there until you retire then you get your pension," he said. Mr Sudhakar said those who had been appointed in the civil service on the basis of nepotism had more reason to be concerned.

"It won't be like people call and say, it's whom you know kind of situation, if you know the person, you will get recruited, and it's no longer that system. "It used to happen that senior civil servants would just appoint their family members, put them in their department and suddenly promote them to senior level - that will stop." He said the recruitments would be merit based - meaning that if you were the best person for the job, you would get it and then performed at optimal level because the next person who was below you could always overtook if he or she performed better. "It's like the private sector where you cannot be guaranteed of a job that you are there, do whatever you want and nobody will take you out. In the civil service, that is the attitude.

"So when you go to the hospitals, when you go to the Ministry of Finance, you don't want a person who does not know how to serve you. We want the best service to be delivered to the people." He said as part of the reforms, some civil servants would be offered with options which include:* Phasing out or retirement;* Replacement of those appointment without merit and;* Transfer within ministries

Mr Sudhakar said the time frame of the new changes would take two-three years and advertisements of positions would start soon. Civil Service Ministry permanent secretary Bernadette Welch, who also presented to the committee yesterday, said for civil servants, their expectations would be embodied in their performance agreement. Ms Welch said civil servants performance would be monitored through the performance management system and would be subject to review.

We have fast become a nation of leadership of liers, deceivers, back-stabbers, corrupt people. It will take a long long while for us to move out of this mindset.

Reply

Dekho

15/5/2016 09:52:34 pm

Ashneel Sudhakar LIED. Why shouldn't he lie? Remember he is a political sidekick of the master liar Aiyaz khaiyum and both of them are " honourable" man. What slim balls!

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Arbitrator

15/5/2016 10:24:47 pm

Vinaka Fijieaks

You have done a better job in putting Fiji Times position than the newspaper's editor and its lawyers

Yes, he LIED, and you have proved it beyond reasonable doubt.

Mr Mortein should be dismissed by Aiyaz Khaiyum

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Rustam

15/5/2016 10:37:53 pm

It was always too farfetched to gobble a view that a Fiji journo would deliberately write false reports- knowing the consequences and the ethos of this Goondament. But it was always more than likely that the Hon. Masoor Goonda went totally verbal (revealing more than he should have) about the hidden AG’s agenda for the Civil Service. Well, at least now, the civil service stands more informed.

The Hon. Mosoor Goonda did LIE and did make statement to the ‘effect’ as reported.

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Dheko, Soono, Samjo

15/5/2016 11:09:57 pm

This is the low level of people FFP has attracted. Hangers on, sychophants, liars, crooks and cheats whose best qualification is brown nosing. Besides Porno MP sudhakar, there's MIDA leech Arsewind Raj, the fake academic. Let's see what this lapdog comes up with in khaiyum's defense.

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And

16/5/2016 08:54:12 am

You couldn't have put it more precisely. Spot on!

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Rajend Naidu

16/5/2016 09:18:51 am

Editor,
On Keeping The Bastards Honest
The Daily Maverick 16/5 article ' Op-Ed: Reckoning nears for Mugabe's Heirs' by historian and author Dr Stuart Doran is instructive.
He observes times are changing in Zimbabwe as Mugabe's end nears, but would-be successors are facing uncomfortable questions about their conduct in Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party which has been hanging onto power which it took 35 years ago.
The threat posed by such inconvenient truth for Mugabe's mob is well illustrated by the case of Didymus Mutasa a long time confidant of Mugabe who fell out and is now a high profile founding member of another political party. Mutasa's latter-day conversion to democracy has come under fire from Jestina Mutkoko, an activist who was abducted and tortured by government's agents in 2008 when Mutasa was Minister of State Security. Mukoko has since taken Mutasa to court declaring that " it does not change anything that he is no longer with ZANU-PF and is now with People First, he is still Didymus Mutasa... The message to Zimbabwe is that we as Zimbabweans, WE NEED TO HOLD PEOPLE TO ACCOUNT . People need to be responsible for their actions".
Now how relevant is that for my beloved home country?
It's good that we have the Fijileaks reminding power holders in our "true democracy" that accountability is the linchpin of democracy. Without it democracy becomes a farce.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

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Baigan Curry

16/5/2016 09:45:18 am

Hon. Goonda Mortein has been caught lying through his teeth. There is no doubt about his bull-shit.

But what is interesting is what he reveals. Khaiyum has secret plans –with endless possibilities- to ‘hire and fire’ civil servants at whim armed with a flimsy ideology of ‘merit-based’ recruitment.

Now WHF is FPSA doing about this atrocious attack on their membership???

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Sam

16/5/2016 09:58:59 am

How Sad it is for us as a country and a nation to go to such low point. AG lies in Parliament. MPs of the Government lie to the media and the public. This is a sure sign that we are headed the way many African countries went in the 1980's. And what is this all because of? To protect the personal interest of 2 people. Just two people, one to avoid being charged and another for corruption.

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Pita

16/5/2016 11:47:40 am

Ever since his Fijian Gorilla or Darth Varda performance in Parliament Kaiyum's world is slowly unravelling. All the layers of veneer he carefully constructed since he projected himself in the public eye after Bai's 2006 coup is being stripped away piece by piece to reveal basically a maniacal wild eyed child.
He is meeting his Waterloo. The universal law of karma is on the move with Goodna Mortein, basically a scatter brain idiot, applying another stroke to Khaiyum and FFP's slow death by a thousand cuts

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Rajend Naidu

16/5/2016 11:48:18 am

Editor,
Silencing Critics
Can Dundar is Editor in Chief of influential newspaper Cumhuriyet's and a strong critic of the Erdogan government in Turkey. Last week he was shot at then sentenced to six years in jail for revealing state secrets . Just before his sentencing he spoke with SBS Dateline about what he describes as an ATTACK ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH in Turkey.
" it's a dangerous game to be a journalist in Turkey... We have a president that hates criticism... He tries to give the idea that if you criticise me, you will be in jail. And the others keep their silence, that's the chilling effect".
It's become fairly routine the rounding up of journalists and academics in President Erdogan's regime.
Sedaf Kabas a TV executive and public penal host is the target of threats and abuse. Her backlash follows a tweet she posted in 2013 about an investigation into corruption that implicated government ministers. She was charged and sentenced to 10 years in jail. Although acquitted, she won't be silenced.
" There are hundreds of people being paid, getting salary to write these pro- government posts" she says making out that they are written by supporters of the president's ruling AK party. " there is escalation on crackdown on free press".
Actor Levent Uzumcu is loved by millions but he says Erdogan is not among his fans. He believes he was sacked from the Istanbull City Theatre for criticising the country's politics.
I think many Fiji politics followers can relate to that. Professor Biman Prasad most certainly would following his recent sacking as would Professor Wadan Narsey who was sacked long back because some in positions of power found his take on contemporary Fiji politics unpalatable.
So is democracy in Turkey on trial? See SBS Dateline ' Enemy of the State?' Tonight 9.30PM.
What's the status of democracy in Fiji?
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

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Samjha

16/5/2016 01:25:08 pm

Democracy in Fiji is suffering from diarrhoea and it's not from dirty water. It's from dirty politics - Machiavellian dirty politics - orchestrated by Liar in Chief Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum and his handpicked " merit " wallah cronies and chamchas.

Reply

A Girl Has No Name

16/5/2016 01:38:11 pm

Ashneel Sudhakar uses 'like' so many times while speaking. Is he a teenage girl in disguise?

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Joe Law

16/5/2016 05:10:07 pm

if I was a journalist i would record everything anyone said to me.
good thing the FT journalist recorded the interview.
We need more hard evidence(audio and video recordings) to show the world just how corrupt this government really is.
Please FT, release the audio recording on the net. The people deserve to hear it themselves...
great work FT, Fiji Sun can go and suck up to Khaiyum more.

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Welcome Home

16/5/2016 06:48:10 pm

The Spectator magazine (1828) is running a "Pen a foul verse in honour of the Turkish leader and be in the running for a GBP 1,000 poetry prize!" Competition. Entries close 23 June and they are "flooding in". Initially, Douglas Murray had stressed there was to be NO prize "other than our continuing freedoms (of speech) but a kind reader got in touch to "offer one thousand pounds. So we are away!". May we wish a speedy outcome to the vicissitudes at Fiji High Commission in London well ahead of The Big Picture: Rugby Sevens this coming weekend. Nothing but Nothing must be permitted to derail this Quest for Fiji. Uncommon abilities will be required for the task and they are now on hand. Thank the Lord.

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Rajend Naidu

17/5/2016 09:22:53 am

Editor,
Shooting the Messenger
We read in The Peninsula ( Qatar's Daily Newspaper ) 17/5 article
' Murder of two journalists prompt uproar in India' that the recent murder of two long time journalists has sparked uproar across the country and made India the most dangerous place in Asia for journalists - ahead of Pakistan and Afghanistan - according to Paris based international NGO Reporters Without Borders.
An Indian Journalist Press Association official said " we demand special protection law for journalists working across India and we call on the government in New Delhi to formulate a national action plan to safeguard media persons who pursue critical journalism"
According to the New York based Committee to Protect Journalists a total of 38 journalists have been killed in India since 1992, prompting Reporters Without Borders to designate it as the world's sixth deadliest country for journalists.
It seems India is not only a top rape country in the world but also a top murder country for journalists in the world.
If Mahatma Gandhi was around today he'd be very ashamed of his beloved country.
With all the attack on media persons in Fiji since the unlawful takeover of the country in 2006 it is high time " a national action plan to safeguard media persons who pursue critical journalism" was also put in place in Fiji.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

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Rajend Naidu

18/5/2016 07:31:29 am

Editor,
Good Journalism Acknowledged
We learn from LAHT 17/5 article ' Jorge Lanata Wins Argentina's TV Gold Prize' that at the 46 th awards handed out by Argentine Association of Television and Radio Journalism, Lanata who anchors the ' Journalism for Everyone' show won four prizes.
Lanata's show is popular for its investigative reporting and has recently reported on corruption allegations involving former high ranking officials in President Christina Fernandez's 2007-2015 administration.
It is always pleasing when a good journalist is acknowledged for the work he or she does in keeping with the true tradition of journalism - which is to put before the public the truth about what is happening and what those in power are doing purportedly in their name.
Such journalist become role models for others.
Fijileaks upholds that journalistic tradition.
That's why it is disliked by those in power who prefer to keep things hidden from the public.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

Reply

Bahuki

19/5/2016 12:52:39 am

So-dumb-kar himself just literally shot himself in the foot on this one although the Fiji Times is notorious for taking the piss from government just because they published something Frankie and his cronies wouldn't like.

IMO, the Times has been doing a way better job when it comes to freedom of the press compared to the Fiji Snub propaganda and those butt wipes in parliament led by their kingpin Bhaiyum despite intimidation.

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"...Secrecy is the keystone of all tyranny. Not force, but secrecy... censorship. When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, 'This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know,' the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives." --Robert A. Heinlein, -If This Goes On